The States Reorganisation Act of 1956 was a major reform of the boundaries and governance of India's states and territories. The act reorganized the boundaries of India's states along linguistic lines, and amended the Indian Constitution to replace the three types of states, known as Parts A, B, and C states, with a single type of state. India is subdivided into twenty-eight states and seven union territories; the states and territories are themselves further subdivided. ... The Constitution of India, the worlds lengthiest written constitution (with 395 articles and 8 schedules) was passed by the Constituent Assembly on November 26, 1949. ...

Although additional changes to India's state boundaries have been made since 1956, the States Reorganisation Act of 1956 remains the single most extensive change in state boundaries since the independence of India in 1947.

Political integration after independence and the Constitution of 1950

Main article: Political integration of India

British India, which included most of present-day India as well as Pakistan and Bangladesh was divided into two types of territories — provinces, which were governed directly by British officials, responsible to the Governor-General of India, and Princely states, under the rule of local hereditary rulers who recognized British sovereignty in return for local autonomy, as established by treaty. As a result of the reforms of the early 20th century, most of the provinces had elected legislatures and governors, although some of the smaller provinces were governed by a chief commissioner appointed by the Governor-General. The 20th century reforms of British India also established the principle of federalism, also known in British India as "dyarchy", which was carried forward into the governance of independent India. India under British Raj in 1922, prior to its partition and integration after independence. ... British India (otherwise known as The British Raj) was a historical period during which most of the Indian subcontinent, or present-day India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, were under the colonial authority of the British Empire (Undivided India). ... Provinces of India or more correctly, the Provinces of British India were formed in 1858 when the British Crown took direct control of India. ... The Governor-General of India (or Governor-General and Viceroy of India) was the head of the British administration in India. ... A princely state is any state under the reign of a prince and is thus a principality taken in the broad sense. ... Federalism is a political philosophy in which a group or body of members are bound together (Latin: foedus, covenant) with a governing representative head. ...

On August 15 1947, British India was granted independence as the separate dominions of India and Pakistan. The British dissolved their treaty relations with the over 600 princely states, who were encouraged to accede to either India or Pakistan. Most of the states acceded to India, and a few to Pakistan. Bhutan and Hyderabad opted for independence, although the armed intervention of India brought Hyderabad into the Indian Union.

During the 1947-1950 period, the territories of the princely states were politically integrated into the Indian Union. Most were merged into the existing provinces; others were organized into new provinces, like Rajputana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Bharat, and Vindhya Pradesh made up of multiple princely states; a few, including Mysore, Hyderabad, Bhopal, and Bilaspur, became their own provinces. The Government of India Act 1935 remained the constitutional law of India pending adoption of a new Indian Constitution. Rajputana, which means Land of the Rajputs is a region of western India, which now makes up the greater part of Rajasthan state. ... Himachal Pradesh   (Hindi: हिमाचल प्रदेश, IPA: ), formerly the Punjab Hill States, is a mostly mountainous state in northern India. ... Madhya Bharat is former state in west-central India. ... Vindhya Pradesh is a former state of India. ... The Kingdom of Mysore was one of the three largest princely states within the erstwhile British Empire of India. ... Hyderabad and Berar, 1903 Hyderābād was an autonomous princely state of south-central India from 1724 until 1948, ruled by a hereditary Nizam, and an Indian state from 1948 to 1956. ... Bhopal state was an independent state of 18th century India, a princely state of British India from 1818 to 1947, and an Indian state from 1949 to 1956. ... Bilaspur is a location in the state of himachal Pradesh, India. ... 24. ...

The Constitution of India, which went into effect on January 26, 1950 made India a sovereign, democratic republic, and a union of states (replacing provinces) and territories. The states would have extensive autonomy and complete democracy in the Union, while the Union territories would be administered by the Government of India. The constitution of 1950 distinguished between three types of states. The Constitution of India was passed by the Constituent Assembly of India on November 26, 1949, and came into effect on January 26, 1950. ... A union territory is an administrative division of India. ... The Government of India (Hindi: Bharat Sarkar), officially referred to as the Union Government, and commonly as Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of a federal union of 28 states and 7 union territories, collectively called the Republic of India. ...

Part A states, which were the former governors' provinces of British India, were ruled by an elected governor and state legislature. The nine Part A states were Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Bombay, Madhya Pradesh (formerly Central Provinces and Berar), Madras, Orissa, Punjab, and Uttar Pradesh (formerly United Provinces). Assam now renamed to Asom (Assamese: অসম Ôxôm) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur. ... West Bengal   (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, Pōshchimbäŋgō) is a state in eastern India. ... For other uses, see Bihar (disambiguation). ... Bombay state is a former state of India. ... Madhya Pradesh (मध्य प्रदेश) is a state in central India. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... Orissa   (Devanagari: उड़ीसा) (2001 provisional pop. ... This article details the Indian state of Punjab. ... Uttar Pradesh (Hindi: , Urdu: , translation: Northern Province, IPA: ,  ), also popularly known by its abbreviation U.P. It is the most populous and fifth largest state in the Union of India. ...

The eight Part B states were former princely states or groups of princely states, governed by a rajpramukh, who was often a former prince, along with an elected legislature. The rajpramukh was appointed by the President of India. The Part B states were Hyderabad, Saurashtra, Mysore, Travancore-Cochin, Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU), and Rajasthan. Rajpramukh was an administrative title in India. ... Hyderabad and Berar, 1903 Hyderābād was an autonomous princely state of south-central India from 1724 until 1948, ruled by a hereditary Nizam, and an Indian state from 1948 to 1956. ... Saurashtra in between Gulf of Kutch and Gulf of Khambat. ... The Kingdom of Mysore was one of the three largest princely states within the erstwhile British Empire of India. ... Thiru-Kochi, formerly known as Travancore-Cochin, is a former state of India. ... Madhya Bharat is former state in west-central India. ... Vindhya Pradesh is a former state of India. ... The Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) was a former state of India. ... Rājasthān (DevanāgarÄ«: राजस्थान, IPA: )   is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. ...

The ten Part C states included both the former chief commissioners' provinces and princely states, and were governed by a chief commissioner. The chief commissioner was appointed by the President of India. The Part C states included Delhi, Kutch, Himachal Pradesh, Bilaspur, Coorg, Bhopal, Manipur, Ajmer-Merwara, and Tripura. This article is about the metropolis of Delhi. ... Kutch (Kuchchh) District, State of Gujarat Kutch (also spelled Cutch, Kachh, Kachch and even Kachchh) is a district of Gujarat state in western India. ... Himachal Pradesh   (Hindi: हिमाचल प्रदेश, IPA: ), formerly the Punjab Hill States, is a mostly mountainous state in northern India. ... Bilaspur is a location in the state of himachal Pradesh, India. ... A coffee plantation in Coorg Kodagu (previously called Coorg) is a district of Karnataka state, India. ... Bhopal state was an independent state of 18th century India, a princely state of British India from 1818 to 1947, and an Indian state from 1949 to 1956. ... Manipur (Hindi: मणिपुर) is a state in northeastern India making its capital in the city of Imphal. ... Ajmer-Merwara (also Ajmere-Merwara) is a former province of British India. ... Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tripura Tripura/Tipra (Bengali: ত্রিপুরা, Hindi: त्रिपुरा) is a state in North East India. ...

Jammu and Kashmir had special status until 1957. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands was established as a union territory, ruled by a lieutenant governor appointed by the central Indian government. Jammu and Kashmir   (IPA: , Kashmiri: جۄم تٕہ کٔشِیر ज्वम त॒ कॅशीर, Urdu:جموں Ùˆ کشمیر, Hindi:जम्मू और कश्मीर) (often abbreviated as Kashmir), is the northern-most state of Republic of India, lying mostly in the Himalayan mountains. ... Map of Andaman and Nicobar Islands with an extra detailed area around Port Blair The Andaman & Nicobar Islands (Tamil: அந்தமான், Hindi: अंडमान और निकोबार द्वीप) is a union territory of India. ...

The movement for linguistic states

Political movements for the creation of new, linguistic based states developed around India in the years after independence. The movement to create a Telugu-speaking state out of the northern portion of Madras State gathered strength in the years after independence, and in 1953, the 16 northern, Telugu-speaking districts of Madras state became the new state of Andhra. Telugu (తెలుగు)is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where it is the official language. ...

Other small changes were made to state boundaries during the 1950-1956 period. The small state of Bilaspur was merged with Himachal Pradesh on July 1 1954, and Chandernagore, a former enclave of French India, was incorporated into West Bengal in 1955. Chandannagar, formerly known as Chandernagore or Chandernagar, is a city in India. ... French India is highlighted in light blue on the subcontinent. ...

The States Reorganization Commission

In December 1953, Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru appointed the States Reorganization Commission to prepare for the creation of states on linguistic lines. The effort was overseen by Govind Ballabh Pant, who served as Home Minister from December 1954. The commission created a report in 1955 recommending the reorganization of India's states. Jawaharlal Nehru (जवाहरलाल नेहरू, Javāharlāl Nehrū) (November 14, 1889 – May 27, 1964), also called Pandit (Scholar, Teacher) Nehru, was one of the most important leaders of the Indian Independence Movement and, as the head of the Indian National Congress, became the first Prime Minister of India when India won its... Govind Ballabh Pant (September 10, 1887 - March 7, 1961) was a major figure in the Indian Independence Movement. ...

The States Reorganisation Act

The States Reorganisation Act of 1956, which went into effect on November 1, eliminated the distinction between part A, B, and C states. It also reorganized the state boundaries and created or dissolved states and union territories.

Changes to states and union territories

On November 1, 1956 India was divided into the following states and union territories:

States

• Andhra Pradesh: Andhra was renamed Andhra Pradesh, and enlarged by the addition of the Telangana region of erstwhile Hyderabad State.
• Assam
• Bihar
• Bombay State: The state was enlarged by the addition of Saurashtra and Kutch, the Marathi-speaking districts of Nagpur Division of Madhya Pradesh, and the Marathwada region of Hyderabad. The southernmost districts of Bombay were transferred to Mysore State. (In 1960, the state was split into the modern states of Maharashtra and Gujarat.)
• Jammu and Kashmir
• Kerala: formed by the merger of Travancore-Cochin state with the Malabar District of Madras State.
• Madhya Pradesh: Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh, and Bhopal were merged into Madhya Pradesh, and the Marathi-speaking districts of Nagpur Division were transferred to Bombay state.
• Madras State: the state was reduced to its present boundaries by the transfer of Malabar District to the new state of Kerala. (The state was renamed Tamil Nadu in 1968.)
• Mysore State: Enlarged by the addition of Coorg state and the Kannada speaking districts from southern Bombay state and western Hyderabad state. (The state was renamed Karnataka in 1973.)
• Orissa
• Punjab: the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU) was merged into Punjab.
• Rajasthan: Rajputana was renamed Rajasthan, and enlarged by the addition of Ajmer-Merwara state.
• Uttar Pradesh
• West Bengal

Union territories Andhra Pradesh  : (Telugu: ఆంధ్ర ప్రదేశ్, Urdu: آندھرا پردیش, IPA: ), is a state in South India. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Hyderabad and Berar, 1903 Hyderābād was an autonomous princely state of south-central India from 1724 until 1948, ruled by a hereditary Nizam, and an Indian state from 1948 to 1956. ... Assam now renamed to Asom (Assamese: অসম Ôxôm) is a northeastern state of India with its capital at Dispur. ... For other uses, see Bihar (disambiguation). ... Bombay state is a former state of India. ... Nagpur Division is one of six administrative divisions of Maharashtra state in India. ... Map of the districts comprising the Aurangabad Division of Maharashtra. ... Maharashtra (Marathi: महाराष्ट्र mahārāṣṭra, literally: Great Nation; IPA: )( ) is Indias third largest state in terms of area and second largest in terms of population after Uttar Pradesh. ... Gujarāt (GujarātÄ«: , IPA: ,  ) is the most industrialized state in the Republic of India with 19. ... Jammu and Kashmir   (IPA: , Kashmiri: جۄم تٕہ کٔشِیر ज्वम त॒ कॅशीर, Urdu:جموں Ùˆ کشمیر, Hindi:जम्मू और कश्मीर) (often abbreviated as Kashmir), is the northern-most state of Republic of India, lying mostly in the Himalayan mountains. ... Kerala ( (Anglicised) or (native); Malayalam: കേരളം, — ) is a state on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India. ... Malabar District was an administrative district of British India and independent Indias Madras State. ... Madhya Pradesh (मध्य प्रदेश) is a state in central India. ... Bhopāl   (Hindi: भोपाल, Urdu: بھوپال, IPA: ) is a city in central India. ... Nagpur Division is one of six administrative divisions of Maharashtra state in India. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... Malabar District was an administrative district of British India and independent Indias Madras State. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... The Kingdom of Mysore was one of the three largest princely states within the erstwhile British Empire of India. ... Kannada - aptly described as sirigannada (known to few as Kanarese) is one of the oldest Dravidian languages and is spoken in its various dialects by roughly 45 million people. ... Hyderabad and Berar, 1903 Hyderābād was an autonomous princely state of south-central India from 1724 until 1948, ruled by a hereditary Nizam, and an Indian state from 1948 to 1956. ... Karnātakā   (Kannada: ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ) (IPA: ) is one of the four southern states of India. ... Orissa   (Devanagari: उड़ीसा) (2001 provisional pop. ... Punjab   (Punjabi: , Hindi: , IPA: ) (Also spelled Panjab) is a state in northwest India. ... Rājasthān (DevanāgarÄ«: राजस्थान, IPA: )   is the largest state of the Republic of India in terms of area. ... Uttar Pradesh (Hindi: , Urdu: , translation: Northern Province, IPA: ,  ), also popularly known by its abbreviation U.P. It is the most populous and fifth largest state in the Union of India. ... West Bengal   (Bengali: পশ্চিমবঙ্গ, Pōshchimbäŋgō) is a state in eastern India. ...

• Andaman and Nicobar Islands
• Delhi
• Himachal Pradesh
• Lakshadweep
• Pondicherry
• Tripura
• Manipur